- By Ralph Waldo Emerson
Introduction
Between the 1st and 7th of June, we saw the celebration of volunteers across the country, and in West Kent we celebrated the inspiring work that our volunteers do by spending a day out at Bewl Water with some of our volunteers.
The day was blessed with sunshine as we walked and talked. We all got to know each other better, it was lovely to see the team gel and hear about some of the great work that they have been doing within West Kent’s three services.
We had a lovely lunch, followed by a nature quiz that bought out the competitive side of some! But I think we all took some new knowledge away with us, not only about nature but also about each other. And like a seed that is planted, if you nurture them, they will grow.
Sadly, not all our volunteers were able to join us on our day out and were celebrated with tea and cake within their individual teams.
Our volunteers are amazing people who support the people who use our service to grow in their recovery by spreading seeds of knowledge and hope, then encouraging them to bloom. Such a gift.
I have added some photos of our day taken by volunteer Keith who is a brilliant photographer and valued member of the team.
Photos from our monthly walk
Men and Mental Health
Between the 12th-18th June, the world acknowledged men’s health week 2023. The event aims to raise awareness of preventable health problems that may affect men.
One of the themes this year was men’s health and looking at the impact that technology and social media has on mental health.
Dopamine is an important chemical in our brain that affects mood, memory, motivation, and influences feelings of reward. However, when we have long periods of screen use e.g., on phones, laptops, gaming consoles, this can create a ‘dopamine loop’ causing a surge of dopamine to be released which triggers the brain’s reward centre. This can be damaging as the brain will then constantly be seeking the same level of reward, feeding into a social media and gaming addiction.
Over time, this can leave you without enough dopamine in your body.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, approximately 1 in 8 men have a common mental health problem such as stress, anxiety, or depression. If left unattended, the problems could become worse. This is highlighted in current statistics in the UK with 3 out of 4 suicides being men, and suicide being the biggest killer of men under the age of 45.
These statistics show us how important it is to remove the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. Sadly, some men still find it difficult to reach out and discuss their problems openly, meaning that they suffer in silence. There is still a need to help men to feel comfortable to talk about their mental health.
Identifying the symptoms
There may not always be clear signs that you are dealing with a serious issue but here are some of the signs and symptoms associated with poor mental health or mental illness.
- Noticeable changes in mood
- Difficulty sleeping
- Anger, aggressiveness, or irritability.
- Constant low energy
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Ignoring personal hygiene
- Avoiding friends and social activities.
- Let us embrace men’s health, raise awareness and embrace open conversations.
Things you can do to reset your brain’s dopamine levels
- Reduce screen time
- Listen to music
- Get regular exercise
- Meditate
- Eat a protein rich diet
- Improve sleeping habits
5 Ways to Wellbeing
The five ways to wellbeing are five things that we can do to help ourselves feel better.
- Be Aware – Taking notice of our thoughts, emotions and surroundings is a great way to stay present and pay attention to our needs.
- Be Informed – Learning new things is a good way to meet new people and boost your self-confidence, which in turn improves our mental health and wellbeing.
- Be connected – Connecting with the people around us is a great way to remind ourselves that we’re important and valued by others.
- Be generous – research has found a link between doing good things and an increase in wellbeing.
- Be active – We know that there’s a link between staying active and positive mental health and wellbeing.
You can find out more information by visiting Mind and Health in Mind's websites.
Richard's story
My Name is Richard, I was born in London in 1963.
I did not like anyone to know if I was depressed and would try to hide it. I did not talk about it and was depressed for ten years. I would have friends come round and ask me if I wanted to go out, but I was never in the mood and felt anxious about it.
I had a little Gold Crest bird come to my caravan window every morning. So, I started to open my curtains earlier every morning and it cheered me up a bit.
One day a friend came to me who was depressed too, and we would wallow in our depression.
He went home that night and drank lots of red wine. Then tried to take his own life.
I visited him when they put him into a mental health hospital and took him a CD player, knowing full well, he was not in the mood for listening to music. It had Paul Weller’s Wild Wood album on it. The lyrics were ‘Find your way-out of the Wild Wild Wild Wood’. He eventually listened to it and found his way out, which I put down to listening to that song. Music really helped me when I was down and maintained my mood when I was happy.
When I was feeling up or down, people would always ask me if I was all right, which to me meant they thought that I was not. It used to really annoy me. It was like being under a microscope all the time. It was like I could never be in the right mood for anyone - either I was too high or too low. It felt like everyone was waiting for me to do something wrong.
An ex-girlfriend who was a dancer in Italy sent me a post card saying how she learnt to dance, it was baby steps she said, but I could not wait for baby steps, as I thought I would wake up one morning and it would have all been a bad dream.
Then one day my ex-girlfriend came to see me, we reminisced, and it reminded me who I used to be, so the baby steps began.
I am now the new Richard Mk 2, from a Guards Red Porsche Turbo to Sunburst Skoda Rapid. Not as fast and flash but now more enlightened and empathetic.
Closing message
Research suggests that men who find it difficult to speak openly about their emotions may be less able to recognise symptoms of mental health problems in themselves and less likely to reach out for support.
If you or someone you know is struggling with poor mental health, there are some useful links above, you can also reach out and speak to your GP, call 111 or if an emergency call 999.
Baby steps can grow into giant strides.
Useful websites
Men’s mental health support
MANUP? - Men's mental health charity